Bad Marks over giraffe grammar gaffe

DEPARTMENT store Marks and Spencer has apologised to the daughter of a retired English teacher who highlighted a glaring grammatical error in a pyjama top she bought for her three-year-old son. Suzanne Walker was stunned when she unwrapped the é12.99 pack, containing two pairs of pyjamas, and spotted the mistake.

MARKS and Spencer has apologised for a grammatical error spotted on a pyjama top.

The words "Baby Giraffe's" were printed above a picture of two giraffes.

As giraffes is plural there should not have been an apostrophe. The pyjamas are no longer on sale.

The mistake was spotted by Suzanne Walker, from Stockport, who bought the pyjamas for her three-year-old son from the M&S store in Handforth Dean.

Mrs Walker, daughter of a retired English teacher, said: "I just thought how stupid it was that a large company like that could get it so wrong. Surely, they should have people who check things like that.

"When I wrote to Marks & Spencer they said they would raise the issue with their childrenswear technologist and she would follow it up. They indicated it had been an oversight.

Gaffe

"I do not care to dress my child in a top containing a glaring grammatical gaffe."

A Marks & Spencer spokesman said: "We have been in contact with Mrs Walker and have offered her a full refund.

"We apologise for any inconvenience or dissatisfaction Mrs Walker felt with this product which is no longer on general sale."

The company has also sent Mrs Walker vouchers "as a goodwill gesture".

John Richards, from the Apostrophe Protection Society, said: "It is a very simple matter. Apostrophes are used to denote possession or missing letters.

"They are never used in plurals. One might expect `Banana's for sale' on a market stall, but not in a store as fastidious as Marks and Spencer.